Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,610 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boise, ID and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Boise, ID and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,610
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,672
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $4,735 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,735
Phuket $2,867

Boise, ID costs about 116% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Boise, ID sits 93% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$4.58 ฿153

331.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 $71.3

$32.48 ฿1,086

119.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$8.55 ฿286

52.87%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$2.72 ฿91.0

123.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.94 ฿31.25

188.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.49 ฿16.39

304.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$2.59 ฿86.6

167.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.83 ฿128

72.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.74 ฿58.1

-43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.43 ฿47.82

161.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.53 ฿51.0

300.00%

Eggs

$4.42 $4.42

$2.17 ฿72.7

103.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$19.15 ฿640

-15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$3.30 ฿110

236.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$11.14 ฿372

55.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.95 ฿98.5

68.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.68 ฿56.1

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.30 ฿76.8

74.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.13 ฿71.3

125.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.53 ฿51.1

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.36 ฿45.55

89.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.12 ฿37.44

106.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.55 ฿18.24

340.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 $9.10

$4.26 ฿142

113.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$18.19 ฿608

-13.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.74 ฿58.2

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.79 ฿93.3

19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.22 ฿74.1

-31.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.35 $41.35

$22.06 ฿737

87.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.91 ฿97.3

-11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.01 ฿33.79

45.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.87 $23.87

$3.83 ฿128

523.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.49 ฿49.85

-22.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.6K $36.6K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

37.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.0K $25.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-6.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 $176

$99.4 ฿3,321

77.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.1 $56.1

$11.28 ฿377

397.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$17.36 ฿580

333.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.55 $39.55

$52.3 ฿1,747

-24.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.29 $37.29

$10.85 ฿362

243.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 $12.60

$7.57 ฿253

66.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$959 $959

$558 ฿18.7K

71.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

110.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$62.9 ฿2,102

-15.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.26 $41.26

$28.58 ฿955

44.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$96.1 ฿3,213

-6.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$88.1 ฿2,943

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$729 ฿24.4K

121.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$460 ฿15.4K

180.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 $2,489

$2,096 ฿70.0K

18.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,222 ฿40.8K

47.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$3,459 ฿115.6K

112.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,126 $3,126

$2,489 ฿83.2K

25.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,233 $4,233

$493 ฿16.5K

758.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.57

19.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Boise, ID: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.4%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 64.3% $829

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$422 16.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 36.5% $154

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$337 12.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 64% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$307 11.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 58.4% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$133 5.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 6.4% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$65 2.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 4.1% $2.7

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$57 2.2%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 32.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,613 in Boise, ID versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 758% higher in Boise, ID, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Boise, ID versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:24 1:24 PM

02:24 2:24 AM

13 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Boise, ID Phuket 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Boise, ID vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 116% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,914 per month in Boise, ID and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $959 per month in Boise, ID and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Boise, ID, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Boise, ID at $2,610. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $2,610 in Boise, ID. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.